


Inaba Feels like Home Again

by PeachyYosuke



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Fluff, I love them too much, M/M, Reunions, Secret Relationship, Surprise Party, This is just wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25793701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachyYosuke/pseuds/PeachyYosuke
Summary: Yosuke had been waiting all spring for Yu to come back to Inaba, and when he does, it doesn't quite go as Yosuke had planned. Not that he really minds, though. He's just glad Yu is home.
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	Inaba Feels like Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic I've decided to man up and post :) I love these two with all my heart and 100% believe they are madly in love so this is totally not self serving at all ;))) I hope you like it!

Yosuke had been watching the clock on and off for the last hour. As the seconds counted down to midnight, he felt his pulse racing. It was 30 seconds until July 25. Exams were over, and today was the last day of school before summer vacation. Once that clock struck 12, they were free. He had overheard students talking about this and that, and what they planned to do over vacation. Yosuke however, was focused on one damn thing. He checked his phone one more time to confirm the message he got this morning was real. 

It read: “Guess who just bought a train ticket to Inaba? I’ll see you when summer vacation starts :) -Yu” Yosuke couldn’t help but smile when he read it over and over. Ever since Yu had left in the spring, he was all Yosuke could think about. He noticed how empty his hands felt at the theatre, how every love song on his playlist had taken a new meaning. He couldn’t even pick up Mario Kart anymore, it just reminded him of his boyfriend’s absence in his life.

Thinking back on it, he was shocked no one caught onto the fact that they had been dating for months before Yu left. _I guess we were just good at hiding it_ he thought to himself. The only one that really seemed to catch on was Dojima, but he had never said a word about it to them besides some questionable glances and the occasional interrogation. Even with Yu gone, Yosuke would find himself being asked the same questions by Dojima. “What are your intentions with my son?” _To marry him._ “Is there any funny business I should know about?” _Depends on your definition of funny…_ “Do I need to keep an eye on you two?” _I would prefer if you didn’t. Who knows what you might see?_ Of course, Yosuke never actually answered Dojima with what he was thinking. They still weren’t too sure on how they were going to tell everyone they were together, so it was easier just to keep their relationship a secret.

The clock changed from 11:59 to 12:00. Yosuke checked the date on his phone, which now read July 25. He couldn’t stop the grin that reached from ear to ear on his face. Yu was coming home today. Yosuke fumbled around in his dresser drawer until he found the stack of papers he was looking for. Every time Yu left him a cute message, he wrote it down so he would never lose it. Reading them before bed had become routine for him as they were able to calm him down like nothing else could.

“Hey,  
I miss you <3 How’s Nanako? Is she still going to Kanji’s workshops? I heard one of our favourite songs on the radio today and it reminded me just how much I miss seeing you every day. Do you have any new playlists for me? My mom is starting to complain that I keep listening to the same songs you’ve sent me too much.”

“Hi partner,  
Today I met a dog that was so fluffy it could almost compare to Teddie. But then I thought about your hair instead and decided that it was even fluffier than Teddie. Tell Teddie I say hi, yeah? :D How was your day? Actually, call me and tell me. I miss your voice.”

Yosuke could read the notes for hours and hours, never growing tired of them. He read a few more before carefully stashing them away in his dresser once again. Thankfully, Teddie was too short to reach the top drawer, and he hadn’t found a way to reach it yet. Yosuke texted Yu a quick “Sys prtnr!!” before turning off his phone and falling asleep. He thought it was going to be difficult to fall asleep, but knowing that when he woke up Yu would be in Inaba was motivation enough.

Yosuke felt as if he was on cloud 9 the entire morning, nearly floating through the street on the way to the station. He hadn’t told any of his other friends Yu was coming yet, and Yu said he had only told Dojima to prepare his room. They both knew there was a desperate need for some alone time before Yu was bombarded by everyone else. When he arrived at Yasoinaba station he could feel his hands trembling. Sure, Yu had sent him the occasional photo and they called each other nearly every night, but Yosuke knew seeing him in person again was what he needed. 

He checked the time on his phone. 11:42am. In 18 minutes, Yu’s train would be rolling into the station. 18 painfully long minutes. Yosuke checked his phone incessantly, slowly watching the minutes pass. He spotted a vending machine and decided to buy some drinks for himself and Yu, hoping to pass some more time. It didn’t work though, as that only took him around a minute to do. All Yosuke could do was pace and check his phone until noon. As he paced, he stared out into the empty train tracks and pictured Yu gracefully stepping off the train. What would he be wearing? Has his hair grown or has he kept up getting it cut? Was he any taller?

Yosuke was reminded of the last night they shared before Yu left. Yosuke was a wreck, sobbing into Yu’s shoulder, and he knew Yu was holding back tears of his own. Yu shushed and comforted Yosuke, telling him that he wasn’t going to leave him forever, and that when they met again he would be the same old Yu he had come to love. Their hands refusing to let go, Yosuke fell asleep to the hushed whispers of his voice with hope for their future. Yosuke prayed that what Yu said was still true, although he wouldn’t necessarily mind if Yu grew a little bit. 

Lost in his own thoughts, Yosuke almost completely missed the telltale sound of a train approaching the station. He felt his heart skip a beat as he looked up at the clock on the wall to see it was a minute to noon. He was finally here after nearly 4 months. All Yosuke could do was watch as the train slowly approached the station. As it came to a halt, he realized he was holding his breath. There were a few other people at the station, presumably to get on the train, but Yosuke had a clear line of sight to the exit door of the train cart. He was making damn sure he laid his eyes on Yu before anyone else even had the chance. He watched a few men in business suits step off into the station, then a mother and child, but no Yu.

Yosuke stood motionless, unsure of what to do. Just as he was about to turn away, he caught the slightest glimpse of gray hair exit the train car. There he was, suitcase in hand, scanning the station with his gray eyes. Yosuke felt his body running towards Yu before he even thought to move. Yu locked eyes with Yosuke and his face lit up.

“Hey partne-OHJEEZ” he was cut off as Yosuke nearly tackled him to the ground in a bear hug. Yosuke honestly couldn’t tell if he was laughing or crying at the sight of Yu, but being able to wrap his arms around him just felt right. Inaba finally felt like his home again.

“I missed you too,” Yu laughed and hugged Yosuke back tight. They stayed like this for a moment, and Yosuke felt the need to pinch himself.

He looked up into the eyes he loved so much and smiled, “It’s good to have you back, partner.”

Yu’s eyes sparkled at the word partner and he slipped out of the hug, as people were starting to stare. He took a deep breath and looked out at the town in front of them. “Man, I missed this place.”

Yosuke huffed, “It’s better with you here, that’s for sure. I didn’t think I was gonna be able to handle Chie and her steak obsession much longer without you.”

They walked to where the Dojimas lived, brushing their hands against each other whenever they got the chance. It still didn’t seem real to Yosuke he was back, but he was ecstatic all the same. As they reached the front door, Yu gave Yosuke’s hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. He rang the doorbell and was instantly greeted with a squealing Nanako as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Yosuke watched as Yu picked her up and swung her around to Nanako’s delight. He was always so good with kids, which Yosuke couldn’t help but admire.

“Hey kid,” Dojima appeared in the front hall of the house. “It’s nice to see you back.”

Yu put Nanako down and went in for a hug with Dojima, and Yosuke had to stifle a laugh at the shocked expression on the detective’s face. Nanako gave Yosuke a hug too, and Dojima invited the two inside. Dojima explained how he had kept his promise and Yu’s room was exactly the way he had left it, so he could just go unpack and settle in right now. The two boys headed upstairs to do just that, when Nanako asked if she could help. Yosuke was a bit disappointed, as he knew they couldn’t say no to her, however much he wanted to. Her big bro just came back, after all. 

To Yosuke’s surprise however, Dojima said they needed to go to Junes together and that she should leave them be. He gave Yosuke a look that he could have sworn meant ‘you’re welcome’ before heading out the door with a conflicted Nanako. 

“Well, that worked out.” Yosuke said as they continued up the stairs to Yu’s room.

Yu opened the door and immediately threw his suitcase on his futon before sitting down on his couch and sighing. He patted the seat next to him and Yosuke sat with him, resting his head on Yu’s shoulder. Yu put his arm around Yosuke and closed his eyes. Yosuke breathed in his smell, and although it was masked by the big city, he could still smell Yu. It was only now that his reality was finally grounded, and he knew for sure this wasn’t a dream. Yu was back for the summer break, he was here. And, Yosuke could now say with certainty, his hair was a bit longer.

They sat in silence for a moment, and Yosuke couldn’t tell if Yu was just exhausted or if he also needed some time for this to sink in. 

Finally, Yu spoke, “We should probably tell the others I’m back in town soon.”

“5 more minutes?”

Yu chuckled and kissed Yosuke’s forehead. “Make it 10.”

Yosuke was shocked at the kiss. It’s not like they hadn’t kissed before, they’d been dating for nearly a year at this point. But, with them keeping everything a secret it was difficult to find time where they could be close like this. He savoured every moment they shared like these, and he could tell from Yu’s expression he was thinking the same thing. Yosuke wondered if Yu was getting as tired of the secrecy as he was.

“I have a good idea!” Yosuke said. “We should throw everyone a surprise party! We can say it’s for Nanako so everyone comes here, and then you can appear and surprise them all! Yeah?”

Yu thought about it for a moment before grinning. “Let’s do it.” Then his expression faltered, “But, we don’t have a cake or anything.”

“Call Dojima right now and ask him if he can pick one up from Junes!”

Yu did just that, and Dojima happily agreed. After they had a cake confirmed, Yosuke got to reaching out to everyone to invite them all over. After promising Chie there would be food, and listening to Teddie ramble about Nanako for 5 minutes, everyone was able to come. Yu got up and began to fumble through his suitcase, looking for an outfit that didn’t scream ‘I just got off a long train ride.’ Yosuke heard Yu swear under his breath and quickly take something out of his suitcase before shoving it in his pocket. He was a bit confused, but was too excited about the party coming up to put too much thought into it.

Yu pulled out his signature white shirt and nodded before beginning to take off the shirt he was wearing to change. Yosuke could immediately feel the blush rising in his cheeks, but didn’t look away. 

Yu turned to look at him and smirked. “Hey, at least you don’t get a nosebleed like Kanji.”

Yosuke barked out a laugh and blushed harder, “I just might if you don’t put a damn shirt on, man.”

Yu decided to test that theory it seemed, because instead of putting a shirt on he sat back down next to Yosuke and laid his head in his lap. Yosuke wasn’t sure what the hell was going on at this point, he couldn’t think straight. He felt his heart rate quicken, and the evil smile on Yu’s face said he felt it too. 

Yu was now in full teasing mode as he reached up to cup Yosuke’s face with one hand. “What’s wrong? You look a little pale all of a sudden.” 

It took everything in Yosuke to spit out a “S-Shut up..”

Yu laughed and continued to tease him, “You keep sneaking peeks, why don’t you just look? You know I don’t mind.”

Yosuke nearly choked and had to cover his face with his hands out of embarrassment. “Knock it off man! Just.. just put a shirt on already!”

“You can’t make me.”

“Oh I will! Or else I’ll-”

“You’ll what, huh?” Yu had gotten this devilish look in his eyes, and Yosuke couldn’t tell if he hated or loved him in that moment.

“I’ll-” Both boys jumped at the sound of the front door opening.

“We’re back!” They heard the muffled voice of Nanako say. “And with a cake!”

Yu immediately jumped up and quickly put his shirt on. “You’re lucky this time, partner.”

Yosuke put his hand over his heart and took a deep breath, thanking but also cursing the universe for sending them home right at that moment. After taking another minute to regain his composure, he and Yu went downstairs to see the cake Dojima had picked out. 

“I hope it’s not too small. I figured we just needed something on the smaller side as it’s only lunchtime, yeah?” Dojima handed Yosuke the cake for him to inspect.

“It’s great. Thanks!” Yosuke smiled at Dojima and Nanako. 

Nanako smiled back and said “I made sure we got chocolate since I know it’s your favourite!”

Yosuke smiled and looked away because he couldn’t handle just how cute that was. He then texted everyone to remind them that the party started in 10 minutes.

Nanako looked at Yosuke confused. “How come you got to see big bro before everyone else did?”

Yosuke looked up from his phone. “Because I’m his boy- best friend, obviously!” While his mistake flew right over Nanako’s head, he didn’t miss the eyebrow raise from Dojima or the elbow jab from Yu. Yosuke watched Nanako and Yu talk about the city while Dojima grabbed the newspaper to read. 

After talking with Nanako for a bit, Yosuke told her Yu was going to have to hide now, and she was going to have to pretend she wanted to have a party until he came out and surprised everyone. She was very excited about the surprise party, and promised she would do her best to keep it a surprise. He told her the code words to say that would tell Yu to come downstairs, and their plan was set into action.

With Yu hiding upstairs in his room, and Chie and Yukiko being the first to arrive, the party had officially begun. Teddie arrived with Kanji, and Rise and Naoto showed up not too long after. 

“So, what’s this party for anyways Nanako?” Chie asked her as they all sat around the table.

Nanako looked at Yosuke to ask if this was the time to say the code word, and he briefly shook his head. _Too early still._ He thought. _Gotta build up the tension a bit more first._

“Because… it’s my Jack Frost doll’s birthday!” Nanako thought up a great lie and Yosuke wasn’t sure if he should be proud at how quick that was. 

“Aw man! If I’d have known I woulda made him a party hat!” Kanji sighed. “Next time for sure Nanako!”

“We could have made the cake!” Yukiko said.

“I-It’s okay, I only remembered when I was at Junes with Dad.” Another quick lie. Yosuke was shocked at how good she was at this. _Maybe I’ve been a bad influence on her…_

“In any case, we should dig into the cake now, yeah?” Naoto reached to take the cake out of the box, and looked puzzled when she opened the lid. “Welcome home…?”

Yosuke looked at Nanako and nodded, and her entire face lit up as she yelled, “Welcome home big bro!!!”

Everyone looked around confused until Yu strutted down the stairs with the biggest grin on his face. It was _almost_ as big as when he saw Yosuke at the station, but not quite. Yosuke was just a little proud of that. Rise immediately jumped up and screamed, running over to him for a hug, Teddie right behind her. Kanji sat with his mouth open, dropping the Jack Frost doll he was inspecting for Nanako. Chie and Yukiko both ran after Rise and Teddie to hug Yu as well, and Naoto stayed seated but Yosuke hadn’t seen her smile that wide since she was skiing with Kanji. 

Yu greeted everyone and took a seat between Nanako and Yosuke. He gave Yosuke’s leg a quick ‘thank you’ squeeze under the table and they all got to work on eating the cake. They shared a lot of laughs, and Yu shared stories from the city that Yosuke had already heard through phone calls. Every now and then Yu and Yosuke would lock eyes, and Yosuke could just feel his heart melt as Yu looked at him with so much happiness. 

As the conversation started to dull, Yosuke noticed Yu had gotten a bit fidgety, playing with the object in his pocket. Yosuke found this odd, as Yu is the last one to get nervous. He squeezed his hand under the table and gave him a ‘you okay?’ look. Yu just smiled and nodded. Yosuke wasn’t convinced, but dropped it for now.

As the day went on, Yosuke could see Yu almost observing the conversation, as if he needed to say something important but wasn’t sure when to bring it up. He started getting nervous. Was he gonna tell them that he wasn’t coming back again? Was he gonna tell them that he was sick with something? Or maybe it was good news, like he was moving to Inaba? Yosuke decided to stop thinking like that, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good. Yu would bring it up eventually.

Again the conversation dulled, and Yu stood up. Everyone looked up at him with confusion, and even Dojima looked up from his paper. He looked around at everyone and gave a sheepish grin.

“I have some news for you all. I wasn’t exactly sure how to tell everyone, but I figured that my welcome home party would be as good a time as any.”

Yosuke looked at Yu, the nervousness completely gone from his body. He was now the calm, confident and collected Yu he knew. What Yosuke was not prepared for was Yu turning his attention directly on him.

“Yosuke and I have been dating for a while now. In secret. I was getting sick of hiding it and I know Yosuke was too, so I figured I might as well just say it.”

Yosuke was stunned. He was sure his jaw was on the floor and he was as red as a beet, but all he could focus on was the way Yu was looking at him. He looked like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. And he was right, Yosuke didn’t want to be a secret anymore either. Then Yosuke looked around and remembered the fact that everyone was here. He was not prepared to deal with the reactions they were about to receive. He was also not prepared for Yu sitting down next to him and kissing him on the cheek, in front of everyone. 

Yosuke looked at Yu, completely embarrassed, mortified, even. But the fact that they didn’t have to hide anymore was so freeing, he couldn’t stop himself from kissing Yu. He would just think about it and be embarrassed by it later. He heard Chie gasp as Yu ran his hands through Yosuke’s hair, not seeming to care that his uncle, or cousin, or anyone was watching. 

When they broke the kiss, Yosuke turned to see faces of absolute shock. No one had said a word, they all stared with mouths agape. 

Nanako was the first to speak. “So… You’re like what mom and dad were?”

Yu smiled lovingly at her. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Dojima just got up and left the room, “I’m going on a walk. We will… talk later.”

Rise was blinking back tears. Yosuke wasn’t sure if they were happy tears or sad tears.

Kanji was beet red, laughing nervously. But he also looked slightly relieved. “So you guys are like… a thing, a thing?”

Yosuke partially covered his face with his hand. “Yeah, have been for a while.”

“Why the hell did you never tell us?!” Chie stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I thought we told each other everything!”

Yu looked at them all and sighed. “We just weren’t ready. We’re sorry.”

Yosuke nodded. “If you’re gonna blame anyone, blame me. I was the chicken, that’s for sure. I was just… a little scared.”

Yukiko snorted. “A little? But guys, we should be supportive right now, not mad! Isn’t that right Chie?”

Chie grumbled an agreement and Naoto nodded as well, despite blushing furiously.

There was an awkward silence now hanging in the air. Yosuke grabbed Yu’s hand and Yu squeezed it. Teddie still hadn’t said a word, his eyes darting between the two. 

Kanji was the first one to break the silence. “So uh… How long have you two been a thing, exactly?”

Yosuke looked at Yu to answer. He was now feeling the full effects of his embarrassment and could barely look anyone in the eye, let alone speak. 

“Early August last year.” Yu didn’t seem to be fazed. Well, he was probably a bit more prepared for these reactions than Yosuke had been, since he planned this.

Teddie finally spoke up. “Well, that just means more ladies for Teddie!”

Yosuke burst out laughing, partially because of the joke but also because he was in desperate need to be less uncomfortable. Everyone else began to join in with the laughter, and the mood had begun to shift in a direction that was a lot less awkward. Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed ‘thank you’ to Teddie, which he returned with a thumbs up and a smile. 

It was now nearing dinnertime, so everyone headed off home. Yu thanked them all for coming, now confidently holding Yosuke’s hand in front of everyone. Yosuke was still trying to get over what the hell just happened to him, and watching everyone’s eyes dart to their clasped hands was not helping.

Once the door shut and they had all left, Yosuke turned to him. “What the hell man! You could have at least warned me!”

Yu scratched the back of his head. “I guess I should have. Sorry.”

“Sorry?!”

“Well what else do you want me to say?”

“...Promise me you’ll talk to me before you pull stunts like that from now on, alright? I was not prepared for that today dude!”

“Alright. I’m sorry, I promise.”

Yosuke sat down and sighed. “You were right though.”

Yu sat down next to him and rubbed his back. “I know. It was written all over your face how badly you wanted to kiss me at the station.”

Yosuke laughed and rested his head on Yu’s shoulder again. “What are we gonna do about Dojima?”

“He’ll be fine.”

“He had his suspicions anyways!” Piped up Nanako. “That’s what he told me, at least. I don’t know what suspicions means…”

Yu smiled. “He did interrogate you nearly every day after he caught us cuddling.”

Yosuke huffed, “Don’t remind me. I never want to be arrested by that guy, that’s for sure.”

As if on cue. Dojima walked in with two big boxes of sushi. “Oh good, you’re still here. I bought us a celebratory dinner for you two.”

Yosuke sat up and looked away, blushing. “We don’t need a celebratory dinner, really it’s okay.”

“Nonsense. I was wondering how much longer it would take you two.”

“So you knew for sure then?” Yosuke still couldn't bring himself to make eye contact.

Dojima laughed and began to unpack the food. “Of course. As a man who’s been in love, I know exactly what love looks like, and it’s written all over your faces.”

Yu laughed and put his arm around a bright red Yosuke. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it kiddo.”

They had a lively dinner, with Yosuke finding it just a bit hard to breathe the whole time. He was thankful, though, that someone had already known. One less questionnaire he was going to have to answer later. After thanking Dojima profusely, he headed back upstairs with Yu. 

“Keep the door open!” Dojima called to them from the bottom of the stairs, which nearly made Yosuke choke once again.

Yu closed his door anyways, and Yosuke quickly moved to hug him. He needed to relax. Usually, he would have read some of Yu’s messages, but now he had something better. The real Yu was right in his arms, holding him tight. Yu pet his hair softly, and Yosuke suddenly remembered that Yu had something in his back pocket. He reached around to try and grab it, and Yu laughed, swatting his hand away.

“Getting touchy, are we?”

Yosuke instantly felt flustered. “No! That’s not what I-”

“I know, I know. I just like teasing you.”

“Well, are you gonna tell me what it is?”

Yu gestured for Yosuke to sit on the couch. “Cover your eyes.”

Yosuke did as he was told. He was a bit nervous Yu was just going to take off his shirt again. This time, with all the shit he had been through today, he was almost certain he would get a nosebleed.

“Open.”

Yosuke very cautiously opened his eyes. What he saw though, was not Yu shirtless, or doing anything in a teasing manner. Instead, Yu was blushing. He was holding something out in his hands, a small little metal box with a handle. Yosuke took it gently, and opened it. 

“I made it for you in a shop class in the city. It’s a music box.”

“You made it?” Yosuke felt like he could cry. Yu made something for him. He spent time doing something for him. He looked up and saw Yu was watching his face intensely. 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Play it!”

Yosuke took a shaky breath and wound it up, Yu watching closely. He let the handle go, and the Junes theme started playing from the little box. 

“Yu…”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it Yu. Thank you, so much.” Yosuke looked directly into his eyes. He reached out and grabbed one of Yu’s hands and guided him to sit next to him on the couch. They sat and watched the music box work, little metal pieces plinking away. This time, Yu laid his head on Yosuke’s shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god it still works.”

Yosuke snorted and kissed the top of Yu’s head. “Even if it didn’t just the fact you made it for me was a gift enough.” 

Yu laughed. “As much as you say you hate getting sappy, you sure do like to pull the sappy card on me.”

“Because I know you can hear it without judging me.”

Yu looked up at Yosuke and cupped his face. “I love you.”

And Yosuke was able to say with all the truth in his heart that he loved him too.


End file.
